The Muhgal Empire

The people of the Muhgal Empire were a mix of Muslim and Indian cultures.The word "Muhgal" was derived from the Persian word "Mongol" and they were the first Muslim empire to rule India. They were known for their wealth and power, and created famous structures that still stand today, including the Taj Majal.

The Taj Majal is one of today's most famous structures

Prince Babur had the odds of being a successful leader in his favor, for he was a descendant both Timur and Genghis Khan. Baburs goal was to build an empire that rivaled his ancestors, and he succeeded in this. He killed 100,000 Indians with only 12,000 men for his first victory. Shortly after conquering India Babur died and Akbar the Great became the new ruler in 1556. Akbar was considered the greatest of all the Muhgal rulers. He worked hard to gain the respect and loyalty from his people and did not hesitate to prevent uprisings. He supported religious tolerance with his people and kept the government under control.

Akbar the Great was considered the greatest Muhgal Ruler

Jahangir, Akbars son, became ruler in 1605 after his fathers death. Jahangir started as a tough ruler however became a favorable ruler and continued many of his fathers practices. Shah Jahan became ruler in 1627. Under his rule the Muhgals fell under a cultural golden age, and he built one of the most famous structures in the world, the Taj Majal. After killing all rivals to the throne, Aurangzeb became the next emperor in 1658. He heavily expanded India, and was very religiously strict. He destroyed religious temples, and because of this his citizens rebelled.

While Aurangzeb increased the size of the empire, his harsh rule heavily crippled it. Rebellions continued to break out, civil war occurred, and they were invaded from the north. The empire slowly declined for the next 150 years, and is no longer around today. India was later captured by the British and was made part of their global empire.